A longtime consumer advocate, Congresswoman Porter is calling out large corporations that are price gouging consumers to line the pockets of CEOs and shareholders. 

As a single mom of three school-aged kids, Congresswoman Porter understands and has been outspoken about the sticker shock Orange County families are facing at the gas pump and the grocery store. While Americans struggle to afford basic needs like fuel and food, giant corporations are using inflation as a smokescreen to rake in their fattest profit margins in over 70 years. They’re getting away with it because they have driven competitors, including small businesses, out of the market—and because too many in Washington lack the courage to stand up to corporate abuse. 

Congresswoman Porter isn’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with large corporations on behalf of Orange County families. Her bill to hold Big Oil accountable for keeping fuel supply low and hiking prices to satisfy Wall Street passed the House in May 2022. She’s also backing the Big Oil Windfall Profits Act, which cracks down on oil companies that price gouge and uses the revenue to help families.

A proud capitalist, Porter understands that healthy markets—especially those involving essential goods like food and fuel—depend on competition. Without it, corporations have no incentive to keep prices down. That’s why Porter is championing several bills that enforce antitrust laws, tackle market consolidation, and promote competition.

 

?? 4 companies control 85% of the beef market
?? 4 companies control 80% of the soy market
?? 3 companies control 78% of the pasta market
?? 3 companies control 72% of the cereal market

These companies hike prices with impunity—especially in uncertain times. We need competition.

— Rep. Katie Porter (@RepKatiePorter) May 20, 2022

 

Porter joined her House colleagues in passing the bipartisan Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act. This legislation cracks down on unfair, anti-competitive behavior in the meat packing industry, cuts costs for farmers, and strengthens supply chains. She also cosponsored the Meat Packing Special Investigator Act, which makes it easier for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate potential violations of antitrust laws by the major meat packing conglomerates. This bill passed the House with bipartisan support. 

Porter is continuing to fight for legislation that will bring costs down for Orange County families. She’s backing the bipartisan Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act, which would help ranchers and cattle producers negotiate better deals with meatpacking conglomerates and create a fairer, more competitive marketplace for beef. She’s also pushing for the Price Gouging Prevention Act, legislation that would make it easier for the federal and state governments to enforce existing laws against unconscionably excessive price hikes.

Porter also supported the bipartisan Ocean Shipping Reform Act, which was signed into law in June 2022. The law is holding international ocean shipping companies accountable for unfair, exorbitant shipping fees, boosting transparency, and easing supply chain backlogs.